Conference Update!

We’ve got an exciting line up for speakers at this year’s conference:

Doug Johnson, library media and tech guru – check out his presentation information and blog at http://www.doug-johnson.com

Dianne de Las Casas, storyteller and author – her sessions are phenomenal, be prepared to have fun!! Check her out and register for her free teacher/parent enewsletter on storytelling and literature, http://storyconnection.net/?content=prof_dev

Authors:
Nikki Grimes – http://www.nikkigrimes.com/  I hope everyone knows Nikki Grimes – she has dozens of books on all three levels – non fiction, poetry, pciture books, novels… I hope everyone is looking forward to hearing her speak – she will be one of the main speakers at our Authors Luncheon.

Dan Yaccarino – http://www.danyaccarino.com/dy/ elementary author and illustrator – Dan also works with children’s television and toys and designed the characters for shows like Oswald and the Backyardigans.

Phil Bildner – a teacher turned author (and he’s still teaching in Brookland, NY!) Phil has written picture books, middle school and high school fiction. http://www.philbildner.com/

There will be more author news to come – watch the listserv for updates!

There will  be great preconference sessions from Doug and Dianne, with other sessions on emerging technologies, professional writing, school reading programs and a special all day session on creating virtual field trips that will take participants on working/walking tours of Mice on Main (a treasure hunt based on Good Night Moon) and the Greenville Zoo.

There were AMAZING concurrent session proposals! Be prepared to EXPERIENCE THE JOURNEY through some incredible professional development!

The conference steering committee is meeting this weekend and we should have some more updates for you in the near future. The Call to Conference booklet should be available soon -

Thanks and I’m looking forward to seeing you in Greenville come March!

Amanda

Letters About Literature Competition!

State Library’s South Carolina Center for the Book Announces 2008-2009 Letters About Literature Competition Columbia, SC – The Letters About Literature program, sponsored by the South Carolina Center for the Book and the Library of Congress, in partnership with Target Stores, is a national reading and writing promotion contest.  To enter, readers write personal letters to an author, living or dead, from any genre, explaining how that author’s work changed the students’ way of thinking about the world or themselves.  State winners will be honored at a spring awards ceremony at the State Library’s South Carolina Center for the Book in Columbia with checks from the South Carolina State Library Foundation for $25 (3rd place), $50 (2nd place), and $100 (1st place).  Additionally, all state 1st place winners will receive a $50 Target GiftCard.  National Winners receive a $500 Target GiftCard and a $10,000 LAL Reading Promotion Grant for their School or Community Library.  National Winners are also honored at the National Book Festival in Washington, DC. Last year, the South Carolina Center for the Book was pleased to recognize nine students from across the state: Level I Winners •    1st place     Lindsay Pollard     Clemson Elementary School •    2nd place     Will Anderson         North Elementary School •    3rd place    Alysa Chirillo         West Oak Middle School Level II Winners •    1st place     Sinead Rose-Innes     Riverside Middle School •    2nd place     D. J. Lee         Dent Middle School •    3rd place     Kiana Knowlin         Rosemary Middle School Level III Winners •    1st place     Rhett Ricard             Mid-Carolina High School •    2nd place     Katherine McCollough        Academy for the Arts, Science & Technology •    3rd place     Danielle Lester            Mid-Carolina High School For participation guidelines and entry coupon, please visit http://www.loc.gov/loc/cfbook/letters/ or contact one of the South Carolina coordinators: Dr. Curtis R. Rogers, Director, SC Center for the Book, SC State Library, POB 11469, Columbia, SC 29211. crogers@statelibrary.sc.gov This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it 803-734-8928. Susanna Brailsford, Program Coordinator, SC Literary Arts Partnership, POB 5287, Columbia, SC 29250. SBrailsford@arts.sc.gov This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it 803-771-2477.

Last Updated ( Thursday, 25 September 2008 )

Call for Nominations

Nominations are open for 2009-2010 SCASL President-Elect and Secretary.  To serve as president-elect, a nominee must have served on the Executive Board previously.  This is a three-year commitment (president-elect, president, and immediate past president). This person must be a member of SCASL and ALA.  He/she will attend the following conferences:

2009 ALA Annual

2010 ALA Mid-winter

2010 ALA Annual

2011 ALA Mid-winter

2011 ALA Annual

 

The Secretary records minutes at all Executive Board and Conference Annual Business Meetings.  He/she will serve one year.  No previous Executive Board service is required for this office.

 

Our treasurer is elected for a two-year term.  Randa Edmunds, our current treasurer, will serve until June 30, 2010.

 

For more information about nominations, please check out the web site at scasl.net.

 

Please submit nominations to the following addresses:

 

cynthia.lisenby@kcsdschools.net

 

Kitt Lisenby

789 Huntley Shop Road

Chesterfield, SC 29709

 

Nominations will be received through October 25, 2008. 

Please submit nominations to

Kitt Lisenby

National Board Certified Teacher

SCASL Immediate Past President

Media Specialist

Mt. Pisgah Elementary School

5160 Mt. Pisgah Road

Kershaw, SC 29067

803-475-6791

Cocky’s Reading Express

I just wanted to let everyone know that Cocky’s Reading Express has received a commendation from ALA and AASL.  They will receive the award at conference in March!  SCASL submitted a commendation to AASL in the spring.  After review from the Executive Board of AASL and the AASL delegates at the ALA annual conference in June, it was submitted to ALA and accepted.  Congratulations to everyone involved with Cocky’s Reading Express!

Kitt Lisenby

“I Love My Librarian” Award

For the first time, school library media specialists can be nominated for The New York Times/Carnegie Corporation of New York’s “I Love My Librarian” Award. The award encourages library users to recognize the accomplishments of exceptional public and academic librarians, and school library media specialists. Up to ten winners will be honored and receive a $5,000 cash reward, a plaque, and a $500 travel stipend to attend the awards reception on December 9, 2008 in New York hosted by The New York Times. 

 

Nominations for school library media specialists will be accepted until October 15. For more information on eligibility requirements or to nominate a school library media specialist, visit the I Love Libraries Web site at http://www.ilovelibraries.org/lovemylibrarian/home.cfm.

 

 

Melissa Jones

Communications Specialist

American Association of School Librarians

a division of the American Library Association

50 East Huron

Chicago, Illinois 60611

p: 312.280.4381

f: 312.280.5276

mjones@ala.org

www.aasl.org

23 Things – Week 2

To all 23 Things participants,

 

Week 2, #3 (create your own blog) is up!

Check out http://scasl23things.edublogs.org/

 

For those keeping track: 
Week 1, #1 About 23 Things

Week 1, #2 Life Long Learning

Week 2, #3 Create your own Blog

Week 2, #4 Register your Blog

 

Have a great week,

Valerie Byrd Fort

SCASL – 23 Things!

Today is the day! SCASL’s 23 Things program is now underway!
What is it? The 2008-2009 SCASL conference theme is SCASL 2.0: Experience the Journey. Our annual conference is a time to develop professionally and network (mark your calendar – March 11-13, 2009). This year, we will not only learn and network at conference (face to face), but online with 23 Things. 23 Things is a program based on Learning 2.0, started August 2006 at the Public Library of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library by Helene Blowers. School Library Journal is currently offering a similar program called All Together Now.

 From September 2008 – March 2009, SCASL members will be learning about the following things:

• Blogging
• Photos and images
• RSS and newsreaders
• Social Networks
• Tagging
• Wikis
• Online applications and tools
• Video and Podcasts

Each thing will have a discovery exercise (you pick beginner or advanced) and a curriculum connection for using that thing in the classroom or library. The goal of our 23 Things program is to learn more about Web 2.0 tools.

If you want to participate in SCASL’s 23 Things, go to http://scasl23things.edublogs.org! Start by reading The 23 Things – Start Here!

Valerie Byrd Fort, SCASL President

Call for Nominations for the 2009 ProQuest/SIRS Intellectual Freedom Award

Call for Nominations for the 2009 ProQuest/SIRS Intellectual Freedom Award.

 

The Intellectual Freedom Committee is calling for nominations for the 2009 SIRS/Proquest Intellectual Freedom Award. 

 

Do you know a media specialist that uses innovative or creative programming to raise awareness of students’ First Amendment rights?  Do you know a media specialist that has boldly opposed censorship in their school library media center, public library, or community?  Do you know a media specialist that promotes intellectual freedom through quality library media center programming?

 

If so, recognize this individual by nominating her/him for the 2009 ProQuest/SIRS Intellectual Freedom Award. 

 

To nominate an individual, please include the following information:

 

1. Your name, title, school, email and phone number.
2. Nominee’s name, title, school, email and phone number.
3. Why does this nominee qualify for the award?  (be sure to include details of related programs, services and advocacy)

 

Send nominations to:      Michael Giller, Intellectual Freedom Committee Chair

                                    SC Governor’s School for the Arts & Humanities

                                    15 University Street

                                    Greenville , SC  29601

                                    mgiller@scgsah.state.sc.us

 

SCASL News and Updates

Hello friends,

 

The year is well underway and I know you are doing GREAT!

 

I have some SCASL news and updates for you:

 

*You’ve heard the word on the street…SCASL IS doing a 23 Things online professional development! Starting next week (and going for the next 9 weeks), you can participate in SCASL 2.0: Experience the Journey! Stay tuned to the listserv and blog for where to start!

 

*We are still in transition with Capitol Consultants. Gabrielle Barnes is our Executive Director and she can be contacted at gbarnes@capconsc.com If you have a membership question, she is the one to ask! She is also a member of our listserv!

 

*October 1 is an important day to mark on your calendars! Not only should you be a member by October 1 to get member rates at conference, but all professional awards nominations are due that day as well. 

 

*I hope you are planning to attend our annual conference in Greenville, March 11-13, 2009! Amanda LeBlanc and the Conference Steering committee are working hard to plan a wonderful event for you! Be on the lookout for more information soon…

 

*Plans are already in the works for the South Carolina Read In – April 16, 2009!

 

Thank you for everything you are all doing for the students in South Carolina!

Valerie

SCASL Professional Awards

Professional Awards and Recognition

Is your school library an integral part of your school? If so we would
like to honor those who have helped make it happen! The SCASL Awards
Program includes five annual awards. Please consider nominating your
exemplary school library media specialists and/or their supporters.

Media Specialist of the Year – honors a full-time media specialist on
the basis of exemplary programs as well as active participation and
service to SCASL and other related organizations.

Distinguished Service Award – recognizes an individual or an
organization for contributions to SCASL and school media programs
throughout the state of South Carolina.

Administrator of the Year – recognizes and thanks an exemplary
administrator.

Nancy Jane Day Scholarship – provides an SCASL member with reimbursement
for the cost of one successfully completed college course taken to
improve job performance or complete a graduate degree in library
science.

Margaret Ehrhardt Student Scholarship – provides a scholarship to a
graduating media center volunteer who has made an outstanding
contribution to South Carolina school librarianship, school library
services, and/or SCASL.

The deadline for submissions is October 1, 2008. Applications should be
emailed or postmarked by that date. These awards will be presented at
the SCASL Conference in Greenville, March 11-13 , 2009. The Awards
Committee of SCASL is currently accepting nominations for these awards.

Download an application and fill it out today!

http://www.scasl.net/professional_awards.htm

Carole H. McGrath, Awards Committee chairperson 2008-2009

cmcgrath@hampton1.org